Re: ukbd incorrect fr keymap

[mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost (Michael van Elst)]

tlaronde%polynum.com@localhost writes:

>My keyboard is attached via usb and I set wscons with the 'fr' encoding.

>Specifically, the asterisk and mu are not available (giving backslash
>and pipe instead) while in ukbd_keydesc_fr they are mapped to position
>50 (and backslash and pipe are not mapped in the fr patch while they 
>are not at the same place as in a qwerty US keyboard).

>How are defined the positions regarding the keyboard keys map? Or where
>can I find the physical association between the KC(n) n value and the
>keys?

USB scancodes are defined in the USB specification as "usage ids".

https://usb.org/sites/default/files/hut1_2.pdf

The position of a key isn't described as coordinates or graphical layout
but as equivalent to the symbol on a (mostly) US keyboard. The USB
specification defines many more keys than available on a standard
keyboard.

The asterisk/mu key on a regular french keyboard is equivalent to
"Keyboard Non-US # and '" with usage id 50.

The ukbd driver regularly uses the hidkbd_keydesc_fr map, which assigns
symbols KS_asterisk and KS_mu to usage id 50. So that's fine.


But the "Non-US" says that on a regular US keyboard there is no key with
usage id 50. Some keyboards have an additional key above the enter key, which
is "Keyboard \ and |" with usage id 49. It is possible that some US keyboards
even have this in the same position as "Keyboard Non-US # and '" on Non-US
keyboards but send usage id 49 instead of usage id 50.

When you load the french keymap, there is no special handling for
usage id 49 and you get the US keymap symbols. You can override the
mapping for usage id 49 for a better result with wsconsctl (also
in wscons.conf). E.g.

wsconsctl -k -w map+="keycode 49 = asterisk mu"



Greetings,
-- 
-- 
                                Michael van Elst
Internet: mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost
                                "A potential Snark may lurk in every tree."